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Tony Blair, the former prime minister was criticised for failing to win concessions when he decided to axe the UKâs Brussels rebate four years ago.
Now figures calculated by House of Commons researchers show that Britain will have lost out on âŽ10.5billion (ÂĢ9.3billion) by not receiving the full rebate between 2007 and 2013, calculated at 2004 prices.
AND
The Treasury statistics show that the UK's net contribution to the EU will increase from ÂĢ4.1 billion this year to ÂĢ6.4 billion in 2010/11.
The figures were published in the Treasury's annual Community Finances statement, which was slipped out last month just before parliament broke up for its summer recess.
The revelation will fuel the political debate over whether Britain benefits from being in the EU, after more than a quarter of UK voters in this year's European elections backed parties which want to take Britain out of the EU.
It comes six weeks before Irish voters go to the polls in a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, in which a "yes" vote would put the controversial treaty â which transfers national powers to Brussels and creates a powerful new EU president â on course to become law in all 27 member states.
Last night the Conservatives branded government "incompetence" for the rise in contributions. The Opposition said the increased payments were the result of the "selling out" of Britain's annual EU rebate by Tony Blair and Gordon Brown at an EU budget-setting summit 2005.
The latest Treasury figures also show that Britain is currently the second biggest net contributor, behind Germany. The new net UK contribution of ÂĢ6.4 billion is the equivalent of ÂĢ257 for every household in Britain â or 3p on the standard rate of income tax.
Britain's budget rebate â won by Margaret Thatcher in 1984 â is to shrink from ÂĢ5.1 billion this year to ÂĢ3.3 billion in 2010/11.
The percentage increase in the net contribution between this year and next year is by far the biggest between any two years since 2003, according to the Treasury figures.
In 2003/4 Britain's net contribution was ÂĢ3.2 billion, and in following years was at ÂĢ3.9 billion, ÂĢ4.4 billion, ÂĢ3.5 billion, ÂĢ4.2 billion and ÂĢ3.0 billion before hitting ÂĢ4.1 billion this year under current spending plans.
Britain's EU rebate was designed to compensate the UK for the high costs of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which benefits Britain much less than other countries because of its relatively small farming sector.
Before the last big round of EU negotiations, Mr Blair promised parliament that the "UK rebate will remain and we will not negotiate it away."
However, at the European Council in December 2005 Mr Blair negotiated away around 20 per cent â or ÂĢ7.2 billion â of the rebate Britain would have received over the period 2007 to 2013.
As part of the "deal", Britain received promises of cuts to the CAP subsidies paid to farmers. However, these have not so far been forthcoming, with the French government digging in its heels over plans to reform the CAP. [If France and the others don ât keep their side of the bargain, nor should we! -cs]
The December 2005 negotiations saw allies of Mr Brown, then the Chancellor, claiming that the former prime minister had gone against the wishes of the Treasury â sparking a fresh battle in the long running political war between the two men.
However, in 2007 it was reported that Mr Brown had caved in and agreed to rubber stamp the original deal.
I am merely stating that I am confident of my facts. It is a phrase, you know. If you wish to end the chat fine but please don't start throwing accusations about.